PHARMACEUTICAL NUTRIENTS AND BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

Pharmaceutical nutrients and biologically active ingredients

EPA and DHA are probably the most successful commercial fatty acids derived from fish oil. Despite its slow development since 2000, the omega-3 market has grown considerably recently. According to some market research, in 2010 the global demand for omega-3 components was about $ 1.595 billion.

The pharmaceutical and food industries have been using gelatine to enhance adhesion, elasticity, firmness and stability. Global gelatin production in 2011 was about 348,900 tons, with 98-99% extracted from skins and bones, only about 1.5% were extracted from fish and other sources.

The market price of fish-derived gelatine tends to be about 4-5 times higher than that of mammals and has better application in foods for Muslims and Jews. With its rheological properties, gelatin from warm water fish can replace “cow’s gelatine” in food and pharmaceutical coatings. Gelatin from cold water fish has many applications in frozen and frozen foods.

Chitin and its derivatives are chitosan, having many applications in food technology, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and the processing industry. Chitin is present in shrimp shells. Global market estimates for chitin and chitosan by 2018 could reach 118,000 tonnes. Chitin is used instead of chemicals (such as flocculant) for water treatment which is very popular in Japan, the largest market for chitin and chitosan.

In the cosmetic industry, chitin is found in skin and hair care products such as shampoos, conditioners and moisturizers. In addition, glucosamine and chitosan monomers are available in the nutritional and pharmaceutical industries. Glucosamine, along with chondroitin sulfate, is used in joint cartilage enhancing products, and is also used in the food and beverage industry. Among the aquaculture development countries, China, Thailand and Ecuador have built a huge chitin and chitosan industry.

In addition, some proteins and peptides of nutritional value extracted from fish by-products with many uses, such as antioxidants or other biological properties, have also been reported. Dried tuna peptide products available on the market have been shown to be beneficial in lowering blood pressure. There are also products derived from white fish that can reduce blood glucose, improve digestion, antioxidant and relax the body.